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Reviewer:
Dodsworth the Cat
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February 14, 2023 Subject:
It's a Film! And It's Coming Right For Us!
Jesse Brummett's looking through his home's screen door during a thunderstorm. Suddenly, there's dramatic music. He opens the screen door. He sees it!
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Stock footage of a tornado!! Now that we've got that silliness out of the way, the short settles down to footage of damaged downtown "Elmville" and some good explanations of what a tornado is, how it behaves, and how it is predicted, using stock shots, drawings and animation of lightning. Oh, and what do do if you're in the path of a tornado. Just stay put. Go to a corner of your home with a radio and a dog, or duck and cover in your school. Yeah, that nasty old twister will see that and bypass you. It's interesting to learn that fax technology was used in forecasting tornadoes then. Basically, this film was made to reassure people if a tornado is on the way, the US Weather Service is on the case with an organised network. I suspect it was helpful in its day.
Reviewer:
JayKay49
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December 18, 2011 Subject:
1950's Tornado Warning System
The SELS was organized in 1952 but it wasnt til 1957 or so that they produced credible tornado watches (then called "Tornado Forecasts". I love the obsession
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with looking southwest and the now disdaiined practice of running around opening windows on the north and east side of the house (people have been killed wasting time with that manouver which has been shown to have no basis). It was also discovered that the southwest corner of a basement may not be the safest corner because brick walls can shift and fall straight down and kill people there...you're supposed to get under sturdy furniture. Whats so good about this film is the lack of juvenile drama that pervades the stuff on the completely dumbed down and disgustingly childish Weather Channel 50 years later. These days, we have tornado sirens too...and we love 'em - what entertainment ... But like the fools in Joplin MO did...we hang out the front door or sometimes even get in the car to go get a good look at the tornado - if on the outside chance it aint yet another false alarm. Unfortunately, the tornado warning in Joplin was the real deal and on top of that, the whole wall cloud descended to the ground such that many people weren' even aware of what they were looking at til it was too late. This was staged near Lawton Oklahoma, one of the most tornado prone areas in the world. Good film!
Reviewer:
uniQ
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March 29, 2009 Subject:
A rare (to see) example of period meterology
Shows tornado preparations in the Midwest in the 40s/50s, and especially noteworthily, the actual forcasing methods. Well acted/scripted/edited, easily
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worth the time.
Reviewer:
RickinFla
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November 4, 2007 Subject:
Excellent film
This is a very good film. Excellent content, dialogue and great editing. This film was made when there were very few moving images of tornadoes in existence. Rick
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Filkins Cape Canaveral
Somewhat blah overview of the preparations communities now go through in the event that a tornado decides to rip it's way through the town. The only saving
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grace is the footage of the beasts themselves, but other then that, plenty of geeky guys with protractors and shirts on with undershirts visible underneath. Not really worth your time.
Reviewer:
cashel
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October 15, 2003 Subject:
a fine documentary
accurate account told with sensitivity. It avoids the sensational but stresses the real dangers
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